Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-04
district was actually cast, and then it is

OCIaIs ldlLtQ 10 vote at the same eleCJlOnS,
and their absence from the polls must
also be accounted for. The truth is, that
the failure Of both races to vote is attrib-
utable to the same causes, and unless the
Republican party is prepared to adopt
compulsory suffrage, it will find its eff
forts TO remove the present ground Of
complaint as fruitless as it's original ct
tempt to secure permanent ascendanCy
IN the south by enfranchising the negro.
That there are individual and isolated
cases OF unlawful Interference, by both
races, with the right OF suffrage in the
south is doubtless true, but the state
ment is true Of other parts Of the coun-
try as well; and in fact, II half the sccu-
sanons made by the public press are we'll
founded, the voter is much less free from
coercive and corrupting influences in the
great Ceuters Of population and business
IN the north than be is anywhere south OF
the Potomac and Ohio. The Democratic
party is as competent and as willing TO
punish these crimes sgsinst the purity
and independence Of the ballot as the
Republican parry is, Notwithstanding the
latter's boast OF superiority in morality
snd patriotism. The right Of the negro
to vote is secured by constitutional pro-
vision which prohibits discrimination
against him on account OF his race or
color, and in every Democratic state the
free exercise Of this right is protected by
tie same statutes that apply to the white
citizen. 1t can not be asserted, or st
least it Can not be proved, that these
statutes are not impertislly enforced BY
the courts and juries in Democratic com
munities; nor can it be shown that there
exists anywhere a purpose to abridge the
right of suffrage, either bye.change of the
constitution CT repeal of the existing
laws upon the subj
For ten years after the close Of the war
the Republican party had
UNDIsPUTED CONTROL OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT
in alI its departments, and during that
period it not only failed to make neces-
ssry reforms in the public service or to
legislste for the promotion CT its general
welfare, but it criminally neglected the
material interests of the masses of the
people, and, in its anxiety to win the ap-
plause and support of aggregated capital,
it laid the foundation for many new
abuses which have since grown to alarm
! ing proportions. 1t virtually DESTROYED
! GLAS hhNA lNo1 CIV HlC1NAuAL
| 1t squsndered the public lands by unnec-
essary and excessive grants to corpora
tons, and by permitting large and velua-
BILE tracts to be appropriated by syndi-
Gates OF spectators; and il wasted the
| public money by loose and eXtrav agant
system Of expenditures which has no
parallel in our history. It maintained an
unequal system OF taxation, for the
| ~ oh ,pE
tionaI exchanges, and at the same time
with gl&ring Inconsistency, it paid
subsidies out of the public treas
merce. It employed the military power
! to control elections by the people, and
TO overawe the tribunals appointed by
law to make The returns. It established
and abolished courts and commissions,
and increased or diminished their iuris
diction to meet political emergencies
and, under the decision and awards OF
these temporary and irresponsible tri-
bunsls, it paid many millions of dollars
out Of the public treasury on claims of II
least doubtful validity, held by people
living in part of the country where Re-
publican votes were soreJy needed. Ur
TO the last moment of it's supremacy il
uSSO SlllCIdL pOWCl lOI
Cal purposes, and made it's placemen ar
organized body Of political serfs, every
one of whom was compelled by the mex
orable law OF the party TO contribute his
money and his personal services when
ever demanded.
1t is not proposed here to attempt ar
enumeration of all the obnoxious meas
ures and arbitrary practices Of the Repub
CT,
mention few, for the purpose of indica
ting the spirit in which it conducted pub.
lie affairs. It has left the country leg
ecy of bad laws and vicious methods O.
administration which it will take many
years OF earnest labor TO correct, and i
is evident that this task can be best per-
formed by those who have no personal Q,
political responsibility for the evils tha
are to be remedied. The reconstructio,
OF the navy and the restoration
Of the merchant marine are
not likely o be accomplished by contin
uation of the same policy which reduced
them to their present condition; for it i:
probable that such a reformation of tn,
civil service as will make it thorough,
honest and effective, and place otllcia
responsibility above partisan obligations
, SdI VI VIII NC eASSeSo ny the same DOIltl'
cal party which persistently pursued tbs
course that made reform necessary.
would be an act Of folly to intrust To,
preservation Ct the public domain to tn,
same men who, when they had the power
despolled this great heritage Of the PEG
pie. The same influences which sur
rounded and controlled them then sur
, round and control them now, and will
continue to do so.
THE PUBLIC LANDS
, Few questions of purely internal polio,
7 are Of greater or more immediate import
/ ance to the people than those which re
late directly or indirectly to the public
lands. These questions are CT suprem
! Importance to that large number of GU
: ciLizens who are without other mean
5 than the wages of their labor, and VIII
ere struggling to secure homes for them
2 selves and their families. Unless tn
l comparatively small Guantity of arabl
lsDd now left in the hands of the govern
5 ment is carefully protected against tn
Entertainments of mere spectators an
= the fraudulent evssions of the law whic
have already resulted in the ACQUISITION
2 of many millions of acres, the time is no
: far distant when it will be impossible 70
: the surplus laborers in the older commu
| mites to secure cheap homes in the west
J. and then We shall begin to experience, i
} worse form than ever heretofore, thos